Study and Analysis of the Role of People in Fulfilling the Conditions for Reappearance

Reappearance (ẓuhūr) is one of the important topics of Mahdism, which consists of two types of issues: internal and external. Internal issues are related to the notion of the nature of reappearance, and external issues deal with the peripheral issues of reappearance, such as the conditions of reappearance, the function of reappearance, the scope of reappearance, and the role of people in reappearance. In this article, the author examines two issues, namely the conditions of reappearance and the role of people in its fulfillment, with a descriptive and analytical approach.
The conditions of reappearance are formed by the fulfillment of three wills, namely, the will of God, the will of the Imam, and the will of mankind, and the occurrence of the reappearance is dependent upon their fulfillment. God's will is the efficient cause (‘llat-i fā‘lī) and the two wills of the Imam and mankind play the role for the preparing cause (‘llat-i mu‘idda). Since the above three wills are known as the conditions of reappearance, their fulfillment in a collective general way is propitious of the realization of reappearance. The main problem that this research seeks to answer is separating human will from the system of reappearance conditions and considering the role of people as ineffective in the reappearance process. Undoubtedly, if this problem remains unanswered and the role of people in the event of reappearance is considered ineffective and insignificant, the feeling of despair, hopelessness, stagnation and impassivity will prevail over people.